A Good Friend
also known as
Friends Through the Years
(author unknown)
- In kindergarten your idea of a good friend was the person who let you
have the red crayon when all that was left was the ugly black one.
- In first grade your idea of a good friend was the person who went to
the
bathroom with you and held your hand as you walked through the scary
halls.
- In second grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped
you
stand up to the class bully.
- In third grade your idea of a good friend was the person who shared
their
lunch with you when you forgot yours on the bus.
- In fourth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who was
willing
to switch square dancing partners in gym so you wouldn't have to be stuck
do-si-do-ing with Nasty Nicky or Smelly Susan.
- In fifth grade your idea of a friend was the person who saved a seat
on
the back of the bus for you.
- In sixth grade your idea of a friend was the person who went up to
Nick
or Susan, your new crush, and asked them to dance with you, so that if
they
said no you wouldn't have to be embarrassed.
- In seventh grade your idea of a friend was the person who let you
copy
the social studies homework from the night before that you had forgotten
about.
- In eighth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who helped
you
pack up your stuffed animals and old baseball cards so that your room
would
be a "high schooler's" room, but didn't laugh at you when you finished
and
broke out into tears.
- In ninth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who went
with
you to that "cool" party thrown by a senior so you wouldn't wind up being
the
only freshman there.
- In tenth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who changed
their schedule so you would have someone to sit with at lunch.
- In eleventh grade your idea of a good friend was the person who gave
you
rides in their new car, convinced your parents that you shouldn't be
grounded, consoled you when you broke up with Nick or Susan, and found
you a
date to the prom.
- In twelfth grade your idea of a good friend was the person who
helped
you pick out a college, assured you that you would get into that college,
helped you deal with your parents who were having a hard time adjusting
to
the idea of letting you go...
- At graduation your idea of a good friend was the person who was
crying
on the inside but managed the biggest smile one could give as they
congratulated you.
- The summer after twelfth grade your idea of a good friend was the
person
who helped you clean up the bottles from that party, helped you sneak out
of
the house when you just couldn't deal with your parents, assured you that
now
that you and Nick or you and Susan were back together, you could make
through
anything, helped you pack up for college and just silently hugged you as
you
looked through blurry eyes at 18 years of memories you were leaving
behind,
and finally on those last days of childhood, went out of their way to
come
over an send you off with a hug, a lot of memories, reassurance that you
would make it in college as well as you had
these past 18 years, and most importantly sent you off to college knowing
you
were loved.
- Now, your idea of a good friend is still the person who gives you
the
better of the two choices, hold your hand when you're scared, helps you
fight
off those who try to take advantage of you, thinks of you at times when
you
are not there, reminds you
of what you have forgotten, helps you put the past behind you but
understands
when you need to hold on to it a little longer, stays with you so that
you
have confidence, goes out of their way to make time for you, helps you
clear
up your mistakes, helps you deal with pressure from others, smiles for
you
when they are sad, helps you become a better person, and most importantly
loves you!
This Web page is maintained by Selden Ball
at Wilson Lab.
Please send any comments or corrections to
seb1@cornell.edu